Sutherland's Directory of Kent & Essex 1870-1871 (Digital Download or CD)

Unlock the history of your family and your county with this fascinating Victorian directory.

Step back into the Victorian era with this high-quality reproduction of Sutherland's Directory of Kent & Essex 1870-1871. Whether you are a genealogist tracing your family tree, a local historian, or simply curious about the past, this directory offers an unparalleled snapshot of life in South-East England over 150 years ago.

Available as a convenient Digital Download or a Physical CD, this directory contains hundreds of pages of scanned images, preserving the authentic look and feel of the original 19th-century publication.

Navigation & Searchability

Please note that this product consists of scanned images (PDF format), meaning the text is not digitally embedded or searchable in the traditional sense. However, don't let that deter you! The directory was compiled with a logical, alphabetical structure, making it surprisingly easy to navigate.

• Alphabetical Order: Residents and trades are listed alphabetically by surname and trade, allowing you to scroll directly to the section you need.
• Modern PDF Readers: Most modern PDF readers (including Adobe Acrobat and browser-based viewers) now feature "OCR on the fly." This means you can often use the "Find" (Ctrl+F) function to search for surnames or place names, even though the file is an image.

Filling the Census Gaps

This directory is an invaluable tool for bridging the gap between the 1861 and 1871 Census returns. If you have "lost" an ancestor between these two census years—or if the 1871 census page is illegible—this directory serves as the perfect substitute. It confirms residency, occupation, and status right at the cusp of the 1871 census year.

What's Inside: Section Breakdown

This comprehensive volume is divided into clear sections to aid your research:

• Court Directory: A listing of the gentry, nobility, and clergy residing in the region.
• Street Directory: (For major towns) Detailed listings of householders street-by-street for major hubs like Maidstone, Canterbury, Rochester, and Colchester.
• Commercial & Trades Directory: An alphabetical classified list of businesses and tradesmen. Find out who made the boots, baked the bread, or built the furniture in your ancestor’s village.
• Parish & Town Information: Historical descriptions of towns, including population statistics, local landmarks, and notable institutions.

Local History, Fame, and Industry (1870-1871 Context)

The year 1870 was a time of great change. This directory captures Kent and Essex on the brink of the modern age.

• The Dickens Connection: This volume was published shortly after the death of Charles Dickens in June 1870. Dickens spent much of his life in Kent (at Gads Hill Place near Higham). You may find references to his acquaintances or the locales he made famous in his novels.
• Naval Might (Chatham & Sheerness): Kent was the heart of the Royal Navy. The directory is replete with shipwrights, ropemakers, and naval agents serving the Chatham Dockyard.
• The Hop Gardens & Breweries: In 1870, Kent was the epicenter of hop farming. The directory lists countless "hop factors" and "brewers," highlighting the county's most famous agricultural export.
• Essex Agriculture & Seeds: Essex was known for its rich farmland and, specifically, the seed-growing industry around Kelvedon and Chelmsford.
• Rising Seaside Resorts: The Victorian obsession with the seaside was booming. Look for early listings of hotels and photographers in Southend, Margate, and Ramsgate as these towns transformed from fishing villages into tourist destinations.

Map Disclaimer & Bonus

Please be advised: Due to the age of the original source material, fold-out maps were often torn, damaged, or removed from original bound copies before scanning. Consequently, we cannot guarantee the presence of the original county maps in this edition.

However, if the maps are present and intact in the source book we have scanned, they will be included as a high-resolution bonus at no extra cost!

Why Buy This Directory?

• Trace your surnames alphabetically without needing a master index.
• Discover the exact occupation of your Great-Great-Grandfather.
• Explore the history of your house or street.
• Print out pages for your family tree album.

System Requirements: Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. Requires a PDF reader.